Skepta, a grime rapper and music producer, is putting up for auction at Sotheby's the original painting he created.
His first and only painting, Mama Goes to Market, depicts a market scene in Nigeria that he refers to as "a brought-together recollection."
It took seven days to complete once the oil paints and canvas came from Amazon during the 2020 blackout.
He said to the Financial Times that he wasn't "going to create a song about lockdown and staying in," adding that he was "just so used to expressing myself all the time, every two days, out doing a gig somewhere fresh."
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The public can view the painting at Sotheby's New Bond Street from September 7 to September 13 before it is put up for sale.
Skepta continues to symbolize his African roots as the chief of his home state of Ogun, Nigeria, not just in this artwork but also in his everyday life. "I want the music, the art, the clothes we wear, the food we eat, everything to make my kids feel like they've been in an African home."
"A lot of the African art I grew up with in my home truly helped to mold me into the man I am today... I reasoned that I ought to make an effort to get these items inside," he remarked.
Skepta has hand-selected other artwork for the gallery to go with his own, such as a portrait by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, a painting by Frank Bowling, a collage by Ouattara Watts, a mixed-media piece by Omar Ba, a portrait by Aplerh-Doku Borlabi, and a piece by Theaster Gates.
"I chose these pieces because, to me, they all had an African sense about them," Skepta explains. Whatever the work's texture, color, or subject, whether it was made by African artisans or not, they all share this essence. Additionally, they incited strong conversations with my painting in one way or another.
"I breathe and love art in everything I do and think. I analyze art and become lost in it when I view it. I've always been into a ton of different creation styles, claims Skepta.
He continues, "For me, there is no finer feeling than looking at something beautiful, and by beautiful, I don't necessarily mean in the usual sense. I fall in love with a piece of art if I feel something when I look at it. I'm curious to know how and what it makes me feel.
Skepta brought the artwork to a Givenchy pop-up, where Chito, Slawn, and Goldie allegedly marked it. While he was there, someone advised him to sell the picture to Sotheby's since it might bring him between £40,000 and £60,000.
Along with this fresh talent, Skepta recently surprised everyone by playing a DJ set at Circoloco, a party hosted by DC-10.
